Old man workout

[Sir_mix88]

Trying to chase some elk with my old man in oct 2022. Wondering how you older guys,60+ trained and any issues you struggled with out west.

 

[mike.adams.467]

Trying to chase some elk with my old man in oct 2022. Wondering how you older guys,60+ trained and any issues you struggled with out west.

I’m 61 and I hit the gym about every day in the winter. Mix up weights with time on the stair machine. I hunt turkeys in the spring, and hike a lot in the summer. Ruck with 50# at least once a week, 3-5 miles.


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[*zap*]

Old man.....

Not all 60+ men are equal thus how I train may not help your dad. Squat, deadlift, dips, pullups, ohp would be a good start point for anyone...obviously hiking also. Other than that to give any pertinent info we would need to know your dads current fitness level.

 

[Wrench]

My buddy is a retired meter reader. At 67yo he can still crank out miles as good as a guy 30 years younger. Log miles. You don't need to be He-Man..but you gotta wiggle when its go time.

 

[Howdoyoulikemenow]

63 years young here. Not going to win any races but I stay off the couch, eat decent. Walk and hike. Do projects around place. Do step up's. Light hand weights. Pushup's. Keep my weight in check which is important. Basically, stay active. I've been able to do what I've wanted to do and needed to do. Hunted Wyoming this year. Colorado and Oregon last year. I hunt elk every year. Packed an entire elk off a mountain in Idaho three years ago by myself.

But it gets harder each year no doubt about it.

 

[Elk97]

You have to stay in shape, "getting" in shape takes too long. Hike with your pack on steep ground if you can. Do some long hikes, simulate a day of hunting in the mountains so you know you can do it.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Hit the neighborhood and any local hills/ mountains with a weighted pack (ex: 30 pounds) 5 days a week. Increase the weight periodically.

 

[Sky]

I'd advise doing some long hikes and just staying active. Plus going to the gym once in a while does not sound like a bad idea.

 

[SliverShooter]

This is what works for me at 63. I do a light upper body workout 3 days and hike 3 days each week. Upper body workouts consist of sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, and large rubber band exercises for the shoulders. Hiking is straight up the local mountain for a mile with a light pack (30#’s) until April then gradually increasing up to 95-100# by August.

 

[GLB]

Lots of good advice so far. For me at 60 I stay active year round. I do weights for the upper body and I like to do sandbags lift and carry up stairs to strengthen the core and legs. Hike with a weighted pack is the the one best exercise for me to get ready. At our age it’s best I think to do it year round to some degree. Much harder for older guys build back up once you lay off awhile.

 

[hunting1]

Stretch, strength, and keep moving! We have a 60+ class at our gym and there are 74-year olds that do burpees so it is not the age but what they do. My hunting partner is 60 and still kills the hills and helps pack out with no issue. Good luck!

 

[PNW bow hunter]

I’m not an old man, but started doing this work out after a knee injury that took a long time to heal. Low impact but good cardio.

A treadmill with the ability to do a 15 degree incline can give you a pretty good work out

Warm up 3 minutes just walking 2.5 mph with no incline

After that increase speed to 3 mph for 7 minutes and Incline treadmill to maximum amount

Increase speed to 3.5 mph for 3 minutes

Decrease speed back to 3mph for 7 minutes

Repeat 3.5 mph 3 minute and 3 mph 7 minute intervals for desired amount of workout time.

Workout should be 30-60 minutes

End with a cool down with no incline at 2.5 mph



You will need to be in pretty good shape to do 3mph and 3.5 mph intervals. If that’s to fast do 7minute 2.5 mph and 3 minute 3mph intervals

 

[mtwarden]

I totally agree that the goal is to stay in shape vs "get in shape".

I also think that the best "plan" includes a mix of strength training, aerobic training and hiit training- that's for any age.

I'm in the "old man" group and my "plan" is to hike 4-6 days/week and strength train/hiit train twice a week. I make it a priority getting some longer hikes in- time on your feet translates well into hunting. If it's a backpacking trip with a pack on, all the better.

About two months out from hunting season, I'll start hiking with a weighted pack. I'll vary the weight and the distance, but shoot for two weighted rucks/week. I don't crazy with the weight as the risk of injury outweighs the reward imo- an injury right before hunting season would be the last thing anyone wants. I'll work the weight up to about 70 lbs, but no more. I've never had trouble with heavier pack outs during the season with that approach.

I eat healthy, but far form a fanatic on anything- too many things I enjoy . I've been at it for awhile, so I can tell when I need to pull things back a bit and recoup/recover. I would suggest including in his "plan" a few rest/recovery days and adjust as he progresses.

My final advice is to have him start right now, even if it's just walks around the neighborhood. Build the base up slowly (but steadily) and add some strength training in. If he commits to it, you may find yourself trying to keep up with the old man!

 

[Dennis]

I am now at age 70 and hunt with a range of younger guys that keeps me active. I work out with a trainer and watch my weight. I noticed your question was about how to chase elk with your old man. I think chasing elk is a young mans game, but hunting elk is still possible for all of us. Us older guys can have health, knee issues etc. that limit our physical abilities, however most can still hunt. Let your dad determine the pace and the distance as that will make it more enjoyable to him. You might think that will limit your success which it might, however that doesn't mean it will. My success seems to increase.

Enjoy your time with your dad and have fun

 

[EdP]

At 67 it's not getting any easier but my regular maintenance workout is a 3 mile run 3 times a week. I'm not fast but I get it done running outside when I can and on a treadmill otherwise. I also love to hike in the mtns so I do a lot of that in advance of a hunt. If it's a horseback hunt I ride my horses a lot for a couple of months in advance also. I keep my weight where it should be and do leg stretches every morning. Had no problem this past Oct chasing mule deer in Wy at 8500 ft.

 

[tcpip95]

Enjoy your time with your dad and have fun

That right there is the definition of a successful hunt.

 

[Hntelk]

If your hunting with your DAD it will be much more important for you to be in tip top shape! Have him doing fair amount of walking and maybe add small weighted backpack to the walks as he progresses. Get some good walking sticks as well. Also headlamps for the dark times, around camp etc... Good shoes, comfortable warm clothes. Been taking my dad with me for years and I do the chasing and he does the hunting.

 

[3325]

To the OP,

Over the course of this thread, a few of “the lifts” have been mentioned. If your father is 60+ and has never lifted, do not attempt to have him do “the lifts” without a competent coach. And maybe not even then.

The lifts are the squat, bench press, dead lift and sometimes the snatch and clean and jerk. Movements like power cleans, RDLs, bent over rows and a few others aren’t exactly the lifts but sort of fit in with the lifts.

The lifts are best left to lifters. You will know a lifter by his uniform. He usually wears squat shoes, knee wraps, a lifting belt, and he has chalk on his hands.

Have your father strengthen his muscles on machines and then learn to use them synergistically by hiking a lot. Add weight to the hikes but not too much at once.

It’s not that “the lifts” are not beneficial. They can be. But for a 60+ man with no history with them, the risk/reward might come out the wrong way.

 

[*zap*]

Having strength is very important as you age, if you do not have strength then start a program that will let you have strength and stay with it forever....get competent instruction and use that person for months until you have perfect form. Its not about how heavy it is......its about functional movements done with weight on a consistent basis and with perfect form Or, you can just say 'I give up on myself because I am over 60'. I see some of those folks at the gym....

 

[Tbonespop]

Lots of body weight exercises mainly (no weights) - mini squats, mini lunges, etc. Lots of walking. I do recommend getting a weight vest and walking with 10 lbs, then increase weight to 20 lbs. No need to go much more than that. If accessible, I highly recommend pilates. As you start to get older, the joints are starting to wear down - I just recently had hip replacement at 50 years old (I'm still in great shape though - just wore down my hip from too much heavy weights and extreme sports). 1000 times better now. But point is, you gotta move toward higher reps, lighter (or no extra) weights. Walking, hiking, biking, etc are all fantastic ways to get into shape. Whatever you do not run, about the worst thing for a person as they get older - terrible for knees and hips.